Identifying a Carotenoid Cleavage Dioxygenase (ccd4) Gene Controlling Yellow/White Fruit Flesh Color of Peach

Abstract

Peach flesh color is a monogenic trait with the white phenotype being dominant over the yellow; its expression has been reported to be determined by a carotenoid degradative enzyme. In the present study, a carotenoid cleavage dioxygenase (ccd4) gene was analyzed to test whether it can be responsible for the flesh color determinism. The analysis was conducted on chimeric mutants with white and yellow sectors of the fruit mesocarp; it was then extended to a pool of cultivars and a segregating F 1 population. A ccd4 functional allele is consistently associated with the ancestral white flesh color; on the other hand, the yellow phenotype originated from at least three independent mutations disrupting ccd4 function, thus preventing carotenoid degradation. In addition, retro-mutations recovering ccd4 function and re-establishing the ancestral white flesh color were detected. Our results show that ccd4 is the gene controlling flesh color in peach; its expression results in the degradation of carotenoids in white-fleshed genotypes, while the yellow color arises as a consequence of its inactivation.

Contribution made by the carotenoid cleavage dioxygenase 4 gene to yellow colour fade in azalea petals

“…The contribution of CCD4 to white petal colour formation, by cleavage of carotenoids into colourless compounds, has also been reported for Chrysanthemum and Lilium brownii var. colchesteri (Hai et al 2012), and for the fruit flesh colour of Prunus persica (Adami et al 2013). In this study, the CCD4 expression level was closely related to the decrease in carotenoid concentration in petals.…”

A Comprehensive Analysis of Carotenoid Cleavage Dioxygenases Genes in Solanum Lycopersicum

“…The SlCCD4a gene was present predominantly in the stamen, indicating a possible function in the growth and development of the stamen. Preferential expression of CCD4a genes in floral organs was also reported in other plant species (Adami et al 2013;Ahrazem et al 2010;Brandi et al 2011;Sun et al 2008). In contrast, the other isoform of CCD4 genes in tomato, SlCCD4b, had a weak expression level in the stamen, but high expression in the old leaves, while the role of the SlCCD4b remains elusive.…”

“…1). Due to the important role of CCDs and NCEDs in plants, the identification and characterization of the genes encoding the enzymes have been carried out in various plant species (Adami et al 2013;Liu et al 2013;Ohmiya et al 2006;Simkin et al 2004a;Sun et al 2008). The Vp14 gene encoding a NCED was first identified in maize, which was involving in the biosynthesis of the phytohormone abscisic acid (ABA) precursor xanthoxin (Tan et al 1997;Woitsch and Römer 2003).…”

Knockdown of Carotenoid Cleavage Dioxygenase 4 (CCD4) via Virus-Induced Gene Silencing Confers Yellow Coloration in Peach Fruit: Evaluation of Gene Function Related to Fruit Traits

“…Therefore, the activity of the carotenoid degradation enzyme may be high in the white flesh peaches while low in their yellow flesh (carotenoid-accumulating) counterparts. Recently, three groups independently reported yellow-flesh-co-segregated mutations in CCD4 gene in several peach cultivars (Adami et al 2013;Falchi et al 2013;Fukamatsu et al 2013). The following three cases for mutation was proposed: (i) a simple sequence repeat consists of eight CT repetitions in CCD4 from yellow fresh peaches resulted in a shift of the reading frame and a premature end of translation, (ii) a 6.2-kb insertion in correspondence of a CATA site 38 bp before the 3′ end of the intron of CCD4, and (iii) A/T substitution at position 1520 of the coding sequence that forms a premature stop codon, resulting in a truncated protein that lacks 91 C-terminal residues.…”